When I saw the trailer for this Action/Drama/Crime/Thriller, I was immediately hooked!
This movie was released on September 23rd 2022. After watching “Don’t Worry Darling”, I wanted to watch this movie.
This movie was rated R for violence and language and it starrs Allison Janney (“Bombshell”), Jurnee Smollett (Netflix’s “Spiderhead”), Logan Marshall-Green (“OC California”), Sean Campbell (“Sonic The Hedgehog 2”), just to name a few.
This movie was directed by Anna Foerster (“WestWorld”).
Onto the premise: Thinking she’d put her dangerous past behind her, Lou (Allison Janney) finds her quiet life interrupted when a desperate mother (Jurnee Smollett) begs her to save her kidnapped daughter. As a massive storm rages, the two women risk their lives on a rescue mission that will test their limits and expose dark and shocking secrets from their pasts. Academy Award winner Allison Janney and Emmy Award nominee Jurnee Smollett star in Lou, alongside Logan Marshall-Green and Ridley Asha Bateman. The film is directed by Anna Foerster from a screenplay by Maggie Cohn and Jack Stanley, with Bad Robot’s JJ Abrams, Hannah Minghella, and Jon Cohen producing. According to Netflix.
Lou is the directorial debut of cinematographer Anna Forester.
The movie doesn’t break too far from the established formula of this kind of Action Thriller, but it does deliver on suspense and character you expect from this type of movie.
One of the things that stood out to me with “Lou” was just how gritty the movie looks. While this movie is set in the 1980s, the movie wisely avoids becoming “nostalgic” and really only uses 80s references when appropriate and in context rather than reminding you every few minutes as some movie do.
I loved the color grading of this movie. From the hard-edged fight sequences to some really tense survival sequences such as a setpiece on a lopsided rope bridge the movie reminded me of thrillers such as “The Loft” and “Knock Knock”, which mixed this kind of chase movie with environmental perils. The acting is really good a
The other actors were good as well. Especially the abuse survivor.
By the way, this movie has too many Trigger Warning aspects to mention, one of them being Flash lighting and mention of Abuse. Therefore be extra careful while watching it!
The movie does have a twist relating to a certain character relationships and like most twists related to this type of genre exercise I think most will see it coming, but it works well enough thematically and leads to a tense and emotional climax that I was willing to let it pass.
Lou doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to this kind of gritty minimalist action thriller, but it gives enough meat to the characters, aesthetics, and performances that I was kept engaged throughout the movie’s brisk 100-minute runtime. Anna Foerster shows solid work in her first feature in the director’s seat and I look forward to seeing her hone her style in other movies!
Overall I really enjoyed this movie despite its Triggers. It was an intense and interesting roller coaster ride of emotions. Therefore it was “worth a watch”.
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Movie reviews with ceren 